“The only reason animal services exists is because of irresponsible pet owners.”

That’s a direct quote provided to me from Garland Director of Health Jason Chessher,and in fact that is sadly true.

He told me that only a sliver of the population is irresponsible, but the damage they do to their animals is tremendous, and city employees have to work overtime to ensure these rescued pets get fair treatment.

Garland officials are then responsible for not only capturing the animals but also the euthanizing process, which I can imagine is never easy.

When interviewing Garland Mayor Doug Athas for this week’s cover story, he referenced a slew of protests in 2010.

Animal rights advocates caught wind that the city was one of the largest in the country still using the carbon monoxide method of euthanizing.

Athas said even though some folks saw their previous method as more barbaric, it was the right method for their situation.

With not enough employees to constantly trap and euthanize animals, it was easier and more humane for the city to use carbon monoxide.

He asked me the simple question of, would you rather hold a wild animal down and have to put a needle in it, or just use the carbon monoxide method and have them pass away in their sleep?

The city did listen to the public’s outcry and switched the method to lethal injection. Not only did it adhere to the public, but officials also decided to work on better methods of getting the shelter animals adopted out.

In 2011, the city handed over an old fire station for a nonprofit organization known as Garland Pawsibilities to use as a location to host animal adoption events.

Since working with the city, the organization has been able to adopt out just under 850 animals.

The city hosted a grand opening of a new adoption building Oct. 30 that it hopes to make a 24-hour staffed facility.

According to Chessher the shelter has a three-day minimum of how long it can keep the animals if untagged.

He said if an animal is considered adoptable it can be kept at the pound for a few weeks while the shelter explores every avenue to have it adopted out.

I have a little pooch named Trooper that I was fortunate enough to stumble upon when I was a reporter in East Texas.

He was one of about 20 left who had not been claimed after the wildfires in East Texas left more than 100 dogs and cats without homes.

I can’t even imagine my life without my hilarious black/brown 20-pound mutt.

There are too many animals that need to be adopted. Each week we feature animals from April Stallcup at the Mesquite animal shelter.

And if you already have a household full of animals, remember the famous words of Bob Barker, “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”